# Definition:Limit of Function

## Limit of Function on Metric Space

Let $M_1 = \left({A_1, d_1}\right)$ and $M_2 = \left({A_2, d_2}\right)$ be metric spaces.

Let $c$ be a limit point of $M_1$.

Let $f: A_1 \to A_2$ be a mapping from $A_1$ to $A_2$ defined everywhere on $A_1$ except possibly at $c$.

Let $L \in M_2$.

$f \left({x}\right)$ is said to tend to the limit $L$ as $x$ tends to $c$ and is written:

$f \left({x}\right) \to L$ as $x \to c$

or

$\displaystyle \lim_{x \mathop \to c} f \left({x}\right) = L$

if and only if the following equivalent conditions hold:

### $\epsilon$-$\delta$ Condition

$\forall \epsilon \in \R_{>0}: \exists \delta \in \R_{>0}: 0 < d_1 \left({x, c}\right) < \delta \implies d_2 \left({f \left({x}\right), L}\right) < \epsilon$

That is, for every real positive $\epsilon$ there exists a real positive $\delta$ such that every point in the domain of $f$ within $\delta$ of $c$ has an image within $\epsilon$ of some point $L$ in the codomain of $f$.

### $\epsilon$-Ball Condition

$\forall \epsilon \in \R_{>0}: \exists \delta \in \R_{>0}: f \left({B_\delta \left({c; d_1}\right) \setminus \left\{{c}\right\}}\right) \subseteq B_\epsilon \left({L; d_2}\right)$.

where:

$B_\delta \left({c; d_1}\right) \setminus \left\{{c}\right\}$ is the deleted $\delta$-neighborhood of $c$ in $M_1$
$B_\epsilon \left({L; d_2}\right)$ is the open $\epsilon$-ball of $L$ in $M_2$.

That is, for every open $\epsilon$-ball of $L$ in $M_2$, there exists a deleted $\delta$-neighborhood of $c$ in $M_1$ whose image is a subset of that open $\epsilon$-ball.

## Real and Complex Numbers

As:

the definition holds for sequences in $\R$ and $\C$.

However, see the definition of the limit of a real function below:

## Limit of Real Function

The concept of the limit of a real function has been around for a lot longer than that on a general metric space.

The definition for the function on a metric space is a generalization of that for a real function, but the latter has an extra subtlety which is not encountered in the general metric space, namely: the "direction" from which the limit is approached.

### Limit from the Left

Let $\openint a b$ be an open real interval.

Let $f: \openint a b \to \R$ be a real function.

Let $L \in \R$.

Suppose that:

$\forall \epsilon \in \R_{>0}: \exists \delta \in \R_{>0}: \forall x \in \R: b - \delta < x < b \implies \size {\map f x - L} < \epsilon$

where $\R_{>0}$ denotes the set of strictly positive real numbers.

That is, for every real strictly positive $\epsilon$ there exists a real strictly positive $\delta$ such that every real number in the domain of $f$, less than $b$ but within $\delta$ of $b$, has an image within $\epsilon$ of $L$.

Then $\map f x$ is said to tend to the limit $L$ as $x$ tends to $b$ from the left, and we write:

$\map f x \to L$ as $x \to b^-$

or

$\displaystyle \lim_{x \mathop \to b^-} \map f x = L$

This is voiced:

the limit of $\map f x$ as $x$ tends to $b$ from the left

and such an $L$ is called:

a limit from the left.

### Limit from the Right

Let $\Bbb I = \openint a b$ be an open real interval.

Let $f: \Bbb I \to \R$ be a real function.

Let $L \in \R$.

Suppose that:

$\forall \epsilon \in \R_{>0}: \exists \delta \in \R_{>0}: \forall x \in \Bbb I: a < x < a + \delta \implies \size {\map f x - L} < \epsilon$

where $\R_{>0}$ denotes the set of strictly positive real numbers.

That is, for every real strictly positive $\epsilon$ there exists a real strictly positive $\delta$ such that every real number in the domain of $f$, greater than $a$ but within $\delta$ of $a$, has an image within $\epsilon$ of $L$.

Then $\map f x$ is said to tend to the limit $L$ as $x$ tends to $a$ from the right, and we write:

$\map f x \to L$ as $x \to a^+$

or

$\displaystyle \lim_{x \mathop \to a^+} \map f x = L$

This is voiced

the limit of $\map f x$ as $x$ tends to $a$ from the right

and such an $L$ is called:

a limit from the right.

### Limit

Let $\openint a b$ be an open real interval.

Let $c \in \openint a b$.

Let $f: \openint a b \setminus \set c \to \R$ be a real function.

Let $L \in \R$.

Suppose that:

$\forall \epsilon \in \R_{>0}: \exists \delta \in \R_{>0}: \forall x \in \R: 0 < \size {x - c} < \delta \implies \size {\map f x - L} < \epsilon$

where $\R_{>0}$ denotes the set of strictly positive real numbers.

That is:

For every (strictly) positive real number $\epsilon$, there exists a (strictly) positive real number $\delta$ such that every real number $x \ne c$ in the domain of $f$ within $\delta$ of $c$ has an image within $\epsilon$ of $L$.

$\epsilon$ is usually considered as having the connotation of being "small" in magnitude, but this is a misunderstanding of its intent: the point is that (in this context) $\epsilon$ can be made arbitrarily small.

Then $\map f x$ is said to tend to the limit $L$ as $x$ tends to $c$, and we write:

$\map f x \to L$ as $x \to c$

or

$\displaystyle \lim_{x \mathop \to c} \map f x = L$

This is voiced:

the limit of $\map f x$ as $x$ tends to $c$.

It can directly be seen that this definition is the same as that for a general metric space.

## Complex Analysis

The definition for the limit of a complex function is exactly the same as that for the general metric space.